The Iron Age 1911-05-25: Vol 87 Iss 21

_ THE IRON AGE _ setabitshed Published Every Thursday by the DAVID WILLIAMS COMPANY 239 West 39th Street, New York at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Entered Subscription Price, United States and Mexico, $5.00 per Annum; to Canada, $7.50 per Annum ; to Foreign Countries, $10.00 per Annum. Copies, 20 Cents. W. H. Taylor, - - - - - President and Treasurer 1.A. Mekeel, - - . - - - - First Vice-President Harold S. Buttenheim, - - - - Second Vice-President and Secretary Geo. W. Cope, - - - - A. I. Findley, - Editors W. W. Macon, - - Branch Offices Philadelphia, Real Estate Trust Building Chicago, Fisher Building Pittsburgh, Park Building Cleveland, American Trust Building Boston, Compton Building Cincinnati, 807 Andrews Building CONTENTS. Pig Tron , Mave": RGU sss cin 6 6s cccio wn ts Chip ccnhewewesdh esos 1235 Pe ew EK PEReeee: Ps 6 esa a bd RE Ss Wei e Aaa sve cwes becca 123 Our Trade Balance Due to Our Manufactures............... 1236 The Massachusetts Eight-Hour Bill Invalid..........0.ccesees 1237 UI PORMAUE iad 54:55 FARR ess cece ene adews vcore essen euseee 1238 To Market American Machinery Abroad.................05: 1239 ee Urott CGRUE the OT Oihiis oio ok vs ov Ko cccagceae cvessea 1239 See TON: AE SN SARUM oh acted cole dee ecbedaresetseebe 1240 pom and , TsiGaeirind “Seah h Ph aa dh hoe edeve cus cucowSceeas 1249 COONG oi ed dislewcenweee OW ed a CEN OKk 60 eEOU SON eed rece owed 1249 The American Foundrymen’s Association..........0.s0.+0+++ 1250 ew Tools and: AMMO ss caivicny css cudedamexthesncuevess 1251 The National Machine Tool Builders’ Association............ 1252 See National Tube: COMpeneics . ob cvins-+0seke sever ¥en tsveviys 1255 Hardness of Quenched Tool Steels........scseeseeseccecees 1256 The Calculation of Air Furnace Dimensions................+- 1257 British Pig Iron Production in 1910..........eseeeeeeceecees 1257 Pansen Vouabes Sollee 5 6 i ois és \ ic Fe aihe uses cua we weaves 1257 The National Association of Manufacturers............+.+-4+ 1258 Bailey Sheet Furnace Equipment... /.....0cseceeecsceeeeess 1258 The Canadian Wire: Bod Tebdes.. .cciscascccvacccssivedends 1260 The Langelier Swaging Machine.............eececeeeeeeeees 1261 The Strong Steel Foundry Company..........ceseeeeeeeeeees 1261 waned Tegak Tem se bai bss chwden eins choos kietan 1262 A Labor-Saving Staybolt Press. .........ecescccsececsceesss 1266 Fab Prey Ms ici Sa has be kk wake cs tenes e cheese bees 1266 The Hooper. Continuous Pouring Spout............06+.00- 1267 The Orenstein-Arthur Rodd Comanay oii sic cide cn csceceeevets 1267 Cutting Worm Gears with a Fly Cutter........6.20eeceeeeeee 1268 Chilled Rolls with Passes Cast In....ccscsssccccececesesers 1269 Automatic Welding of Hoops by Toledo Welder........-.+..- 1269 Pratt Institute Babies. os Gd. ids cnba cess dass soda eovdaes 1269 Calcium Chloride for Drying the Blast...........ssseeseeees: 1270 The Sherman Anti-Trust Law Muddle.........+..e+e+eaeees 1272 New Welch Hammer of the Helve TPR icnes ccvcsvceesaciaue 1273 Vertical Combination Bench Miller and Drill.............-.+ 1273 Molding Machine with Stripping Plate..........ssseeseeeees 1274 The Baker Hammer Flue Cleaner......seceeessseeeesceteces 1274 The Standard Screw Company.......s++++- CORES Saa8 sia bes 1275 Welfare Work.—Its Tendencies and Potential Results......... 1276 Machine Tool Arrangement.........cdeesscvoedcccsesecsceis 1278 Paper by PF; C. Kemt..yccssccebecsees havd Mpn baenbe ss meeye seh 1279 New Automatic Tap. Fluter......... so Ketveweresesdesdesvces 1281 A Reversible Window Ventilating Device.........+0eeee0+++++ 1281 Machine for Boring Engine Valves.........+--+- siveebdhars 1282 The Machinery Market...........seece0es bona nves ..-1283 to 1291 _ 3 New York, tani 25, 1911 ‘at $10.50, while $10.75 VOL. Si: m0. 87: No. 21 Pig Iron Mor Mews Active Lower Prices in ces in All Markets Sharp Reduction in Virginia Iron—Foreign Rail Inquiries, but Little Home Business Iron and steel markets have realized no measurable benefit thus far from the Supréme Court decision, though expectation of tangible betterment has grown, as bearings have been taken under the new status. It appears that immediately operating upon buyers in some lines have to do with prices, and hesi- tancy is still a factor. In actual developments the pig iron market has taken the lead in the past week. The semi-deadlock that has existed for some time as to the basis of sales for the second half of the year has been effectively broken in the buyer’s favor. Prices have declined in all markets and some sellers appear willing to sell on the low basis for delivery far into the second half of the year. In the East the leading Virginia pig iron interests set out to sell 25,000 tons of No. 2 X foundry iron at $12.25 at furnace for third quarter and $12.50 for fourth quarter, as against a nominal price of $13 pre- viously. Sales of about 12,000.tons have been made, chiefly in New England and eastern Pennsylvania. Other Virginia producers have not followed the cut, but some of them will sell at $12.50. Buffalo iron has been more active in New England and in New York State at lower prices. One good- sized sale to a malleable foundry is reported. Ship- ments by Frie Canal have made Buffalo iron more sharply competitive in the New York district and at Sound and Hudson Valley points. At Chicago inquiry for 15,000 tons of Northern and Southern grades is pending and sales have been made more freely there as buyers’ views have been niet. Further prompt sales of Southern iron are reported has been the basis on deliveries extending over the third quarter. The total of basic pig iron sales in eastern Penn- sylvania last week is now put above 20,000 tons, two lots of 5000 tons and one of 10,000 tons being placed at $14.50 delivered. Other negotiations are pending. In the Central West both Bessemer and basic irons are very quiet. Stocks of all kinds of iron in Ohio and western Pennsylvania furnace yards, including steel companies outside the Steel Corporation, increased about 5000 tons the first half of May to 880,000 tons. Finished material markets have shown no new ten- dency. The bar situation is naturally being watched closely. Sales of hard steel bars have been made at 1.25¢ in the Chicago district, but there is no confirma- tion of the published report that a round sale of soft influences ‘steel bars has been made below 1.40c Pittsburgh. Bar iron is on a 1.20c basis at Eastern mill, Some variations have appeared in hoop prices and 1.40c has been done on desirable business. For the Panama emergency dams 12,000 tors of 1236 rolled steel and 1000 tons of pig iron for counter- weights were taken by the United States Steel Prod- ucts Company. The structural market is only fairly active. In New York City over 5600 tons was closed last week, while 8700 tons is pending. The American Bridge Company took the steel for the Statler Hotel at Cleveland, 4000 tons. At Chicago the Mallers and Rand-McNally buildings will require 7000 tons. Wire nail manufacturers have given notice that after June 1 all unfilled tonnage on contracts made some time ago at $1.75 will be charged at $1.80, the present price. Business in wire products is holding up well. Rail sales are light. One 10,000-ton contract is pending. In the foreign trade inquiries have come up for 54,000 tons for Queensland and 30,000 tons for the Union of South Africa. Bids will be asked on 4000 to 5000 cars, including 1000 for the Queen and Crescent. The wrought pipe trade is encouraged by a consid- erable increase in orders over the April rate. A con- tract has been taken for 100 miles of 8-in. pipe for Mexico and various other orders for gas and oil pipe amount to nearly 100 miles. In cast-iron pipe several good contracts are pend- ing. San Diego will buy 7500 tons and bids were opened, or will be opened, this week for 16,000 tons for the various boroughs of Greater New York. Sales of 400,000 tons of non-Bessemer Lake ores are reported, including a contract for 300,000 tons to be delivered over the next three years at Lake Mich- igan ports. The offer of an Eastern steel company to buy 300,000 tons of Lake ores a year for 5 or I0 years, at about 80 cents a ton below present Mesaba prices, has not yet resulted in business. A New Dry Blast Method An interesting paper read before the recent meet- ing of the Iron and Steel Institute at London dealt with the calcium chloride method of drying air at the blast furnaces of the Differdange Works in Luxem- burg. The apparatus is described in a liberal synopsis of the paper given elsewhere in this issue, and the authors’ claim of saving in construction, as compared with the cost of refrigerating machinery, is stated, as well as the claim of decreased working cost. The in- stallation, we are told, cost only about one-fourth as much as would have been paid for refrigerating equip- ment. No details of the blowing tests of dry air at Dif- ferdange are given, and in this particular the paper con- trasts notably with that of James Gayley on his dry- blast system, presented at the New York meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute in October, 1904. Natur- ally some questions were asked in the discussion of this joint paper of Felix A Daubiné and Eugene V. Roy at London as to the comparative costs of the freez- ing and the calcium chloride methods, but these were not answered in the absence of the authors. J. E. Stead, the well-known British metallurgist, referring to the proposal made 25 years ago to use calcium chloride as a desiccator, said that it was not made practical then because there was no provision for cooling the calcium chloride after it had been heated to expel the moisture taken up from the air. This has now been met, as the article elsewhere shows, there being first an air cooling and then a cooling with water introduced through coils. THE IRON AGE May 25, tor The economies of the new method remain to be demonstrated. The apparatus required is on scale indicating that some revision must be made of the authors’ claim of less than 25 per cent. of the cost of refrigerating apparatus. It is suggested further tha the use of so many pipes in the “cooling stove” j, objectionable, as corrosion would require their fre. quent replacement. The chief value of the present paper is in emphasizing the economies of dry blast anq in showing that blast furnacemen abroad are increas. ingly interested in securing savings in which thus far only a small minority of American blast furnacemen have taken a practical interest. Our Trade Balance Due to Our Manufactures The reestablishment of a distinctly favorable balance in our foreign trade last September, after a decidedly unsatisfactory period, prompts careful study at this season of the year in the hope of reaching 3 conclusion whether the turn is due chiefly to a revival of heavy crop exports, to the establishment of a much heavier rate in the exportation of manufactured goods, or to a decrease in imports. The presentation of the mere figures of total exports and imports by months, as is so often done, is not always enlightening, for on account of the nature of the business there are tre- mendous swings in the monthly trade balance. For instance, in the fiscal year 1897 the favorable balance was $286,000,000, while in the next fiscal year it was $614,000,000. The winter exports were not greatly different in the two years, the maximum monthly bal- ance in the first year being $63,000,000, in October, and the maximum in the second $74,000,000, in De- cember, these representing the peaks in the crop move- ment. The greater difference between the two fiscal years was caused by a difference in the movement of other commodities, in the summer, for in the first year April, May and June showed adverse balances, aver- aging $12,000,000 per month, while in the second year those same months showed average favorable balances of $49.000,000 per month. Thus the accumulation of a large favorable balance in the ten months of the present fiscal year is not in itself conclusive as to the showing of the whole fiscal year. It is necessary to trace the exports by com- modities in order to determine their character. There are, indeed, several wholly distinct streams, influenced each by its own conditions, which in the aggregate determine the character and extent of our trade bal- ance. Late in 1909 James J. Hill brought out very forcibly the unfortunate trend in our position as to wheat. Mr. Hill’s object, of course, was to illustrate the necessity of our practicing intensive farming. He showed in convincing manner that our wheat yield per acre had been steadily decreasing, while our population is increasing and the consumption of wheat per capita has slightly increased. Accordingly the indications were that our wheat production would become wholly inade- quate to the needs of the population and there would be pressure to import large quantities, without any good source from which to draw it. It might be urged that before the pinch becomes severe an adjustment will be made, but such reasoning does not apply to the disappearance of our exports of wheat, because that would not produce a severe pinch. The reduction " our exports not only of wheat but of other cereals also is a factor very active at this time and the move ment therefore deserves very careful study. To an extent decreased cereal exports are made up by in- creased exports of manufactured goods, and if that represents @ natural trend the showing is good, for the reason that we can hardly contemplate the cereal n continuing to change at the same rate indefin- itely, whereby we should eventually come to import large quantities, whereas if the increase in our exports of manufactures is upon a good basis it can be expected . continue indefinitely, and after the change in our cereal position has ceased to exert an adverse influence upon the trade balance. The monthly trade balance has been as follows, in the present and the last fiscal year, the balance being rable except where indicated: 1909-10 1910-11 Tuly .. «+ 0 «po slelanenenen ek a ene $3,151,402* $2,688,099* August ...«cvesslebenee caaee ene 7,342,187* 3,691,929" September ...«<cbseknee ene eeeeee 32,948,265 51,609,130 \ctober . « » + «/s.6 Alea aie eae 73,023,992 83,662,755 November ...«cuueiswi nesses «dm Gee 53,489,905 76,834,840 ) ber ....s <eeegueene aa eineie 33,733,470 90,505,449 ee Se ee AL Ag Katy 10,791,157 66,581,886 February ....9<cenabaeeeaubernes 5,559,930* 54,155,651 March ....:ss ssp kaeeeeeneo 19,341,578* 22,876,776 Apri]... «sess sake eee eee 811,658* 37,876,094 May ; 0 06 ¢é ew eet eae 12,245,983 NE ...<s0e esp eine neces 8,011,293 Ten months’ total........ $167,780,014 $478,839,898 [Twelve months’ total..... $188,037,290 Unfavorable balance, Each month in the ten which have elapsed of the present fiscal wear shows a better trade balance than the corresponding month a year earlier, last July show- month there was a larger improvement until February, which showed a gain of $60,000,000, an adverse bal- ance of $6,000,000 being succeeded by a favorable bal- ance of $54,000,000. The March balance was smaller and the April balance still smaller. To a degree this represents the familiar course of the trade years ago, when the crop movement continually swelled the trade balance until some time in the late fall or winter. An examination of the detailed figures, however, shows hat in the present fiscal year exports of agricultural products have not been increasing, the total to date ing practically the same as in the last fiscal year, nd being at the rate of only about $380,000,000 a vear. They do not in the slightest degree account for the increase in the favorable trade balance, nor, in- deed, could they hope to account for much of it, since they amount altogether to just about the gain in the favorable balance which the past ten months have shown. As the greatest increase in the favorable trade balance occurred last February, being approximately $60,000,000, it is interesting to observe the details. The increase was made up by a decrease of $8,000,000 in imports and the following increases in exports: Food- stuffs in crude condition, and food animals, $2,000,000 ; foodstuffs, partly or wholly manufactured, $4,000,000; crude materials for use in manufacturing, $35,000,- 000; manufactures for further use in manufacturing, 500,000; manufactures ready for consumption, $10,- 000.( 00. The gains in the trade balance in March and April were of the same origin as the gains in March, but Were not so extensive, the decrease in imports in April cing only $2,000,000, while the gain in exports was nearly $36,000,000. A glance at the statistics of exports in the eighteen nuneties would appear to indicate that our exports of agricultural products have very greatly fallen off, but May 25, 1911 THE IRON AGE 1237 questions have been raised lately in certain quarters as to the relevancy of various changes which have been made by the government in the method of com- piling the statistics and the grouping of the products. Investigation along this line is promised, and for the present it is perhaps not well. to attempt any precise comparison. Enough is known, however, to indicate that our exports of agricultural products have greatly decreased since the nineties, while our exports of manufactures have greatly increased. From the viewpoint of the moment the position is substantially as follows: After a period of generally unsatisfactory trade balances, beginning with Febru- ary, 1909, and ending with August, 1910, large fav- orable trade balances have been restored. They have averaged $48,500,000 a month, beginning with last September, against an average of $46,000,000 per month in the calendar years 1898 to 1908, inclusive, that being clearly marked as the period of by far the most favorable trade balances the country ever had. The recent restoration of a large favorable balance is due in small measure to a reduction in imports, in no measure to an increase in exports of agricultural prod- ucts, and in very large measure to a great increase in manufactures and manufacturers’ materials, . Crude materials for manufacturing have shown the largest gain, manufactures ready for consumption the next largest, and manufactures for further use in manufac- turing the smallest. The obvious conclusion is that we must improve our position for exporting manu- factured products. Having lately made progress along this line, there is promise of success to further efforts. The Massachusetts Eight-Hour Bill Invalid The Massachusetts Supreme Court has dealt the final blow to an eight-hour bill which has been before the Legislature of that State for two years, and which would have become a law a year ago had it not been for the veto of the Governor. j This legislation has been considered pernicious because it provided that “working more than eight hours in any one day shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of the statute.” The Legislature caused the bill to be brought before the Supreme Court for a decision as to its legality. The court holds that the clause quoted is unconstitutional. The decision reads: There are many statutes in which the Legislature has enacted that the existence of a fact which ordinarily creates a strong probability of the commission of an of- fense shall. be prima facie evidence of oe and stich statutes have been held constitutional. provision of this section of the proposed act differs from those re- ferred to . . . and is not within the principles on which the cited cases rest. ‘ Under this act “in cases where a Saturday half-holiday is given” employees may work more than eight hours on other days of the week. Such cases will be common, and, in all of them, work for a longer time than eight hours on any other day will not indicate a probability of viola- tion of the law. To provide that such a fact shall consti- tute prima facie evidence that warrants a finding of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt would be contrary to funda- mental principles of criminal law. The bill applied only to employment upon public works by the commonwealth, the county, and such cities and towns as have accepted the provisions «f certain earlier acts. No one disputed that the Legis- lature has the power up to a certain point to direct how the government shall conduct the public business, although it has no power to limit a citizen in the exer- cise of his right to make contracts and to use his powers. by the enactment of a statute forbiddeng ‘his 1238 employment for more than) ¢iglit hours a dav. as has been decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. ' Correspondence A Remarkable Boiler Performance To the Editor—lI have recently read, with a great deal of interest, an article entitled “Economical Fire Room Methods,” by F. R. Low, published by the B. F. Sturtevant Company, giving an account of)'a day recently spent with the consulting engineer of the American Woolen Com- pany, at Lawrence. Among other things, it showed a very low temperature in the stack, which should always occur in every case, and simply emphasizes the necessity of having a stack large enough. It also gives analyses of flue gas made from time to time, which show remarkably well, al- though I can show plenty just as good made some time ago at the plant of the Packing & Provision Company, Somer- ville, Mass. It was from this plant that I got the most complete set of evaporation tests of any plant which I have ever tested. Here they had a very unique method of running the night gang against the day gang, in the boiler room, post- ing up, at each change of- watch, the record made by the previous watch, as a spur. to each gang to do a little better than the previous one. It also showed the differ- ences in coal tests made at different periods of the year and the rate of evaporation. Each of these tests were run for comparatively long periods, some of them as great as 221 hr. and some as short at 48 hr., but, at any rate, long enough so as to wipe out all the errors. And they are very interesting, as showing how ordinary commercial firing can be done. It was during one of these sets of tests, 60 hr. long, that I Obtained the unprecedented figure for equivalent evaporation per pound of dry combustible of 13.156 Ib. of water, which produced a boiler efficiency, in return tubular boilers, of 82.32 per cent. This plant had neither mechanical draft nor economizers, although I am aware, in other plants, of the advantages of both of these devices, and I put mechanical drafts, for instance, in the plant of the Morse Twist Drill Company, at New Bedford, and the Union Carpet Lining Company, at Watertown, in place of tall chimneys, and get the best results. I would put my- self on record for the use of mechanical draft with econo- mizers, requiring a good, strong and» steady draft through many corners. It certainly is more reasonable to make a draft mechanically under those circumstances than.by wast- ing a lot of heat up the stack in order to get such draft. I also agree that the place to save fuel is in the boiler room, and I also prefer to make a fireman myself, out of a good, intelligent man, than attempt to hire one. There is no doubt of the fact that the place to learn firing of a boiler is on a locomotive, where the steam must be kept uniform and where a failure means losing time. Good, intelligent firemen are made on locomotives, but they can also be trained on stationary plants by a man who knows his job, and then they are the best ever. RESULTS OF BOILER TESTS - _Type of boilers—Return flue tubular. Number of boilers in use Diameter of boilers, in Length of boilers, ft Width of grate,. in Length of grate, in..... Ciba pe Ada pee shane saawie Number of tubes in boilers Diameter of tubes, in Length of tubes, ft Total water heating surface, sq. ft Total grate surface, sq. f Width of air space in grate, in Width of metal in grate bars)’ in Distance of grate to sheet, in Ratio of water heating surface to grate Aréa of statk, sq. ft Height of stack, ft Ratio of stack area to grate z n of trials, hr. tmospheric pressure, in.... ae in boilers, gauge, Absolute steam pressure, Ib. Chimney draft, in. of water THE IRON AGE External air, deg. F Fire room, d Steam, deg. F Feed ,water, deg. F Escaping gases by metal py- rometer, deg. F Coal consumed, Moisture in coal, per cent.. Dry coal consumed, lb Total ash and refuse, lb.... Ash and refuse in dry coal, per cent Ash and refuse by analysis, per cent Combustible, Ib Moisture in steam, per cent. Water apparently evaporated Ib actually evaporated, ceeney for moistures, b. Water evaporated into dr steam from 212 deg. F., lb. Equivalent water evaporated into dry steam for 212 deg. per hour, Total heat derived from coal Mi bas d bees meee’ otc British thermal] units analysis of coal Efficiency of boilers, Water actually evaporated per lb. of dry coal, lb... Equivalent water evaporated er lb, of dry coal for 212 eg., Equivaleat evaporation per lb. of combustible for 212 Dry coal actually burned per sq. ft. of grate per hr., Ib. Combustible actually burned ‘ed = ft. of grate per “at Combustible actually burned per sq. ft. water heating surface, lb Water evaporated from and at 212 deg. per hr. per sq. ft. of grate surface, Ib... Water evaporated from and at 212 deg. per hr. per sq. ft. of water heating sur- face, On a basis of 30 Ib. water per hour from feed at 100 deg. F. into steam at 70-Ilb. pressure, hp Builders’ ‘rating, hp Per cent developed below rating Dry coal per hour per hp de- veloped, Ib Cost per ton (2240 ib.) of combustible Coal per 1000 hp per hr., veloped Cost per 1000 Ib. steam... Carbonic acid gas, per cent. Oxygen, per cent Carbonic oxide, per cent.... Nitrogen, per cent — gas per Ib. of carbon, Heat balance, Dr. In coal (all referred to 32 deg. F.), uaits In water, units In air, units Heat balance, Cr. In dry steam, units In flue gas, extra temp. of gases, units In evaporation of water in coal, units . In priming ‘or moisture in steam, units In . radiation counted for Heat balance 1897 method Heat ‘absorbed in useful work, per cent Loss in moisture and hy- drogen in coal, per cent... Loss in heat in chimney gases, per cent Loss in incomplete combus- tion of carbon, per cent.. Loss in radiation and unac- counted for Boston,’ Mass., May May 27.7 323. ° 168.2 345. 321.8 158.9 340.6 137,407 6.12 129,162.6 16,373.9 12.7 140,006 5 133,005 .7 9,110. 6.85 7.9 5. 112,788.7 123,895.7 2.70 1,399,535 .2 2.76 1,451,605.85 1,817,430.5¢ 1,361,757.74 1,411,541.47 1,484,315.93 1,525,876.36 1,763,271. 1,936,072.55 24,738. 10,764. 13,078 82. 25,431.27 10,737. 14,028 .6 76.53 24,821. 10,580. 13,514. 32 10.54 10.61 11.48 11.47 13.156 12.31 18.22 18.79 15.93 17.5 -258 0.283 209.6 215.5 3.39 3.49 113. 5.1 2.2 6.1 1109.7 2.8 2.3 50.6 1094.3 79.6 3.5 16.0 1.7 0.0 ———— 100.18 77.2 3.6 12.5 1.86 4,84 100.00 Witiiam O. WEBBER. 80. 3.55 9.9 3.9 2:68 ~~ 400.00 II, IQ1l. May 25, 1911 To Market American Machinery Abroad A company that gives promise of being an important factor in the marketing of American machinery abroad has heen incorporated at Albany, N. Y., under the title of the \Iied \lachinery Company of America, by interests directly | red with the National City Bank of New York. The incorporators, most of whom are important officials in the bank, have far-reaching plans for extending American business in foreign countries. They have already made arrangements with between 35 and 40 manufacturers of mechanical equipment in this country, most of whom are makers of machine tools and other metal working ma- chinery, whereby the new company will take charge of the selling arrangements for their clients abroad. It is their purpose to operate with the National City Bank so as to arrange for foreign banking facilities, and this plan will give American manufacturers an opportunity to sell their product direct in a manner that they have not been afforded before. Thousand THE IRON AGE ves Showing the Relation Between the Output of a Large Manufacturing Plant and the Production of Pig Iron. 1239 Pig Iron Output the Criterion Its Fluctuations Correspond with Those in Orders for Machinery Supplies An officer of a large manufacturing corporation, the products of which go to a y@st variety of industries and trades, has plotted the curve of the company’s deliveries from January 1, 1907, to April-1 last, and compared it with the chart published in The Iron Age of April 6, 1911, page 824, showing the course of pig iron production in the United States in that period. The two curves are given in the accompanying chart. The plant in question manufactures wood screws, ma- chine screws, taps and dies, screw machine products, chair and stove rods, stove bolts; tire bolts, cap screws, set screws, small nuts, rivets amd: burrs, hanger bolts, small brass castings and hardware specialties. The list of con- sumers is of necessity greatly diversified. The Dotted Curve Indicates the Former and the Solid One the Latter. The National City Bank, through its broad connec- tions, now has a powerful influence in Europe and the Orient, where it is an important factor in the arrange- ment of foreign loans. It is understood that the purposes of the projectors of the company are to use this in- suena in increasing the foreign sale of American-made machinery. Captan G. L. Carden, of the United States revenue utter service, who was formerly connected with the De- partment of Commerce and Labor, and whose reports on machine tool making abroad have attracted great atten- Hon, is on a leave of absence from the government and is /rominently associated with the organizers of the com- _ Samuel McRoberts, a vice-president of the National ‘ity Bank, is president of the Allied Machinery Company, ind b. A. Vanderlip, president of the bank, and J. T. Tal- 't, another vice-president, are deeply interested in the ‘aptain Carden and Mr. McRoberts will leave for within a week on business connected with the 9+ @—____. bessemer Gas Engine Company, Grove City, Pa., cived an order from the Air Tight Steel Tank "lany, Pittsburgh, for an 85-hp. gas engine, and also ‘<r trom the Frick Company, Waynesboro, Pa., for a , kas engine to be used in connection with refriger- ‘< machinery, the installation to be made in Texas. The immediate and simultaneous response of general trade to the conditions which govern the iron market is graphically demonstrated by this common experience. The manufacturer’s curve waS plotted by three months’ periods, with the exception of the last quarter of 1907. But the sug- gestion is almost as strong as if the flowing curve based on monthly intervals were given. The investigation brought out one interesting fact - that during the falling off of shipments in the last six months of 1910 the average price received for the products increased. One reason for this was that a larger per- centage of sales was for the higher priced products. But this was not the whole reason. Doubtless the fact may be attributed in no small part to the sound conditions underlying all business in the past year and the large cx- tent to which the purchases made were prompted by im- perative need. “} A steel bracelet around the city forms a special feature of the improved gas distributing facilities which have been in process of development for San Francisco. It is a 16-in. pipe line, 714 miles long, for carrying. high-pressure gas to feed at distributed points the ordinary low-pressure gas system. It is stated that it has been kept at 60-tb. pres- sure for days at a time and may be counted on as one of the steps in high-pressure gas distribution, calculated to erase the common gas holder and its desolated contiguous area, a ° ste i - a 1240 THE IRON AGE May 25, I9II The Iron and Metal Markets . A Comparison of Prices Advances Over the Previous Week in Heavy Type, Declines in Italics. At date, one week, one month and one year previous. PIG IRON, Per Gross Ton: May 24, May 17, April 26, May 25, : 1911. 1911. 1911. 1910. Foundry No. 2 standard, Phila- delphia Ltttsteeesseseneeeees $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $17.00 Foundry No. 2, Valley Furnace 13.75 13.75 13.75 15.00 Foundry No. 2 Southern, Cin- GG. 22 v0.06 sees ecccesccce 13.75 13.75 14.25 14.75 Foundry No. 2, Birmingham, Ala 10.50 10.50 11.00 11.50 Foundry No. 2 local, at furnace, CRORE RO... cc ceccecvcccesece 15.00 15.00 15.00 17.00 Basic, delivered, eastern Pa.... 14.50 14.50 15.00 16.25 Basic, Valley furnace.......... 13.25 13.25 13.75 15.00 er, Pittsburgh ......... 15.90 15.90 15.90 16.90 Gray forge, Pittsburgh........ 14.15 14.15 14.40 15.90 Lake Superior charcoal, Chicago. 17.00 17.00 17.50 18.50 COKE, CONNELLSVILLE, Per Net Ton, at oven: Furnace coke, prompt shipment. 1.45 1.45 1.55 1.70 Furnace coke, future delivery. . 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.80 Foundry coke, prompt shipment _ 1.75 1.75 2.00 2.25 Foundry coke, future delivery. . 2.00 2.10 2.20 2.40 BILLETS, &c., Per Gross Ton: Bessemer billets, Pittsburg.... 23.00. 23.00 23.00 25.50 Forging billets, Pittsburgh... .. 28.00 28.00 28.00 31.00 Open hearth billets, Philadelphia 25.40 25.40 25.40 29.00 ire rods, Pittsburgh......... 29.00 29.00 29.00 32.00 OLD MATERIAL, Per Gross Ton: Iron rails, Chicago............ 14.50 14.75 14.25 17.50 Iron rails, Philadelphia........ 16.75 16.75 17.00 20.00 Car wheels, Chicago........... 12.75 12.75 13.25 15.50 Car wheels, Philadelphia........ 13.00 13.00 13.00 15.00 Heavy steel scrap, Pittsburgh.. 13.00 12.50 12.50 15.25 Heavy steel scrap, Chicago..... 10.25 10.25 11.50 13.50 Heavy steel scrap, Philadelphia. 13.00 13.00 13.00 14.50 FINISHED IRON AND STEEL, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Bessemer steel rails, heavy, at mill see eeeeesessesecescsens 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 Refined iron bars, Philadelphia. . 1.27 1.30 1.32% 1.52% Common iron bars, Chicago... . 1.22 1.22% 1.25 1.47% Common iron bars, Pittsburgh. . 1.30 1.30 1.35 1.55 Steel bars, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.61 Steel bars, Pittsourgh......... 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.45 Tank plates, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Tank plates, Pittsburgh........ 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.50 Peams, tidewater, New York... 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Beams, Pittsburgh............. 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.50 Angles, tidewater, New York.. 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Angles, Pittsburgh............. 1.40 1.40 1.40 = 1.50 Skelp, grooved steel, Pittsburgh 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.50 Skelp, sheared steel, Pittsburgh. 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.60 SHEETS, NAILS AND WIRE, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Sheets, black, No. 28, Pittsburgh 2.20 2.20 2.20 2.40 Wire nails, Pittsburght........ 1.80 1.80 1.80 1.80 Cot monte, TPRRsER. «22 50040 1.60 1.60 1.65 1.80 Barb wire, galvanized, Pitts Se OV atcccéstacs ete 2.10 2.10 2.10 2.10 METALS, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents, Cents. Lake copper, New York....... 12.37% 12.25 12.37% 13.00 Electrolytic copper, New York. 12.12% 12.00 12.12% 12.87% Spelter, New York............ 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.30 spear, St. Tawmks..s..css..viee 5.20 5.20 5.30 5.15 Lead, New York.............. 4.37% 4.40 4.42% 4.37% Es ae ER “eres 4.22% 4.25 4.27% 4.22% Te PT eee 44.60 43.00 42.50 33.25 Antimonv. Hallett, New York.. 9.00 9.00 9.00 Tin plate, 100 Ib. box, New York 3.94 3.94 3.94 3.84 *The average switching charge for delivery to foundries in the aS district is 50c. per ton. Chica ; ; +These prices are for largest lots to jobbers. Prices of Finished Iron and Steel f.o.b. Pittsburgh Freight rates from Pittsburgh in carloads, per 100 Ib.; New York, 16c.; Philadelphia, 15c.; Boston, 18c.; Buffalo, 11c.; Cleveland, 10c.; Cincinnati, 15c.; Indian- apolis, 17¢.; Chicago, 18c.; St, Paul, 32c.; St. Louis, 22%4c.; New Orleans, 30c.; Birmingham, Ala., 45c. Rates to the Pacific Coast are 80c. on plates, structural shapes and sheets, No. 11 and heavier; 85c. on sheets, Nos. 12 to 16; 95c. on sheets, No. 16 and lighter; 65c. on wrought boiler tubes. Structural Material—I-beams and channels, 3 to 15 in., inclusive, 1.40c. to 1.45c., net; I-beams over I5 in., 1.50c. to 1.55c., net; H-beams over 8 in., I.55c. to 1I.60c.; angles, 3 to 6 in., inclusive, % in. and up, I.40c. to 1.45c., net; angles over 6 in., 1.50c. to 1.55c., net; angles, 3 in., on one or both legs, less than % in. thick, 1.45c., plus full extras as per steel bar card effective September I, 1909; tees, 3 in. and up, 1.45c., net; zees, 3 in. and up, 1.40c. to 1.45c., net; angles, channels and tees, under 3 in., 1.45¢., base, plus full extras as per steel bar card of September 1, 1909; deck beams and bulb angles, 1.70¢c. to 1.75¢., net; hand rail tees, 2.50c.; checkered and cor- rugated plates, 2.50c., net. Plates.—Tank plates, 14 in. thick, 6% in. up to 100 in. wide, 1.40c. to 1.45c., base. Following are stipulations prescribed by manufacturers, with extras to be added to base price (per pound) of plates: Rectangular plates, tank steel or conforming to manufacturers’ standard specifications for structural steel dated February 6, 1903, or equivalent, 4 in. thick and over on thinnest edge, 100 in. wide and under, down to but not including 6 in. wide, are base. Plates up to 72 in. wide, inclusive, ordered 10.2 lb. per square foot, are considered %-in. plates. Plates over 72 in. wide must be ordered %-in. thick on edge, or not less than 11 Ib. per square foot, to take base price. Plates over 72 in. wide ordered less than 11 Ib. per square foot down to the weight of 3-16-in. take the price of 3-16-in. Allowable overweight, whether plates are ordered to gauge or weight, to be governed by the standard specifications of the Asso-- ciation of American Steel Manufacturers. Gauges under %-in. to and including 3-16-in. on thin- nest edge.......-.-..++0.- pee ees see eeseesesceccens $0.10 Gauges under 3-16-in. to and including No. 8......... a Gauges under No. 8 to and including No, 9.......... 25 Gauges under No. 9 to and including No. 10......... .30 Gauges under No. 10 to and including No. 12......... -40 Sketches (including all straight taper plates) 3 ft. and TR IIs oo 0 0 ve ccn 0 000056 004505 ee eee scene 0 -10 Complete circles, 3 ft. in diameter and over.......... .20 Boller mad Ganee steel. 2.2.00 iccccccccsccccesecesens .10 “A, B. M. A.” and ordinary firebox steel............+ .20 SEES 2 Swann dadee bb o.0 8 45:06 0550 een0e ee .30 I Ne ee anid anes bese SAW aA oe Se Oba te ees .40 nnn ETT Or COL eT eT .50 Widths over 100 in. up to 110 in., inclusive........... .05 Widths over 110 in. up to 115 in., inclusive.........-. -10 Widths over 115 in. up to 120 in., inclusive.........-- 15 Widths over 120 in. up to 125 in., inclusive........... 25 Widths over 125 in. up to 130 in., inclusive........... 50 cn nn cn ae Caen eee Ome Te 46 oe 1.00 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 3 ft. to 2 ft., OS RS rrr erro rTe Try .25 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 2 ft. to 1 ft., CE een ec 5s swe eeectenadkcead pasveae ees 50 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 1 ft............ 1.55 No charge for cutting rectangular plates to lengths 3 ft. and over. Terms—Net cash 30 days. Sheets.— Makers’ prices for mill shipments on sheets in carload and larger lots, on which jobbers charge the usual discounts for small lots from store, are as fol- lows: Blue annealed sheets, Nos. 3 to 8, U. S. standard gauge, 1.55c.; Nos. 9 and Io, 1.65c.; Nos. 11 and 12, 1.70c.; Nos. 13 and 14, 1.75c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.85c. One pass, cold rolled, box annealed sheets, Nos. 10 to 12, 1.85c.; Nos. 13 and 14, 1.90c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.95c.; Nos. 17 to 21, 2c.; Nos. 22, 23 and 24, 2.05c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.10c.; No. 27, 2.15¢c.; No. 28, 2.20c.; No. 29, 2.25c.; No. 30, 2.35c. Three pass, cold rolled sheets, box annealed, are as follows: Nos. 15 and 16, 2.05c.; Nos. 17 to 21, 2.10c.; Nos. 22 to 24, 2.15¢.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.20c.; No. 27, 2.25c.; No. 28, 2.30c.; No. 29, 2.35c.; No. 30, 2.45c. Galvanized sheets, Nos. 10 and 11, black sheet gauge, 2.20c.; Nos. 12, 13 and 14, 2.30c.; Nos. 15, 16 and 17, 2.45¢.; Nos. 18 to 22, 2.60c.; Nos. 23 and 24, 2.70c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.90c.; No. 27, 3.05c.; No. 28, 3.20c.; No. 29, 3.30c.; No. 30, 3.50c. Painted roofing sheets, No. 28, $1.55 per square. Galvanized sheets, No. 28, $2.75 per square for 2%4-in. corrugations. All above prices are f.o.b. Pittsburgh, terms 30 days net, or 2 per cent. cash discount 10 days from date of invoice. Wrought Pipe.—The following are the jobbers’ car- ijoad discounts on the Pittsburgh basing card on wrought pipe, in effect from October I: Butt Weld. r— ‘Steel——, —Iron—— Black. Galv. Black. Galv. Se BEE i .. 6 640% 6sn sha Gee Rowe 43 3 hs wndktncebeee ens knee bows 4 = a. = BOD 896 Eevccccacccccowsevece BOSD Ws 20s des 6na0 Un kp aeeoas 80 70 76 66 Lap Weld Ce ivecacewakndenveane be etase 76 66 72 62 Bie A Us <onsncecaukensveses 78 68 74 64 B60 6 Mi since dcintesseseses 77 67 73 63 Poe) BE Moise so wee nde owe 75 59 71 55 PB es eee hak 51% . Butt Weld, extra strong, plain ends, card weight. i 69 59 6 ee ES rr 55 3 DRG phase 00640 cenGnnbetnnned 74 68 70 64 A to 1% im... cer ereccnsecees 78 72 74 68 Be BOER. ah on ts's oe. o ada kaann 79 73 75 69 Lap Weld, extra strong, plain ends, card weight. DERE FEaesies + ob Kans sbA 0 sls 75 69 1 5 BECO ONL Gre adess us eos rennet 77 71 73 67 BG i Biles fo 06 49 0 00006020002 76 70 72 66 eRe ia 5G cab an see a On eee 69 59 65 55 PU don le hits vaeis-y bie 64 54 60s Butt Weld, double extra strong, plain ends, card weight. aS 2 setbe dab bhed'gss 804 wes 64 58 60 54 te ER Dh vecesecus bes en enna 67 61 63 57 Dc ac sa naides sha) seeives 69 63 65 59 May 25, IQII THE IRON AGE Haye aaa © 3 124! THE IRON AND METAL MARKETS Lap Weld, double extra strong, = om, at wore, URs ccecve bOuWoavegheencceses Oe £04 Marrcdecepsrendassave 67 61 63 57 ROR RARE Oe eee 66 60 62 56 FSG OW Us Ci )0 cs cavabaitescnehes 59 49 55 45 ‘ ny and Reamed. 1 to 1%, 2 to 3 in..Butt Weld{ Will be sold at two (2) points lower basing (high- er price) than merchant or card weight pipe. Butt or 2 Ah be: 4 disns seen Lap Weld | lap weld, as specified. The above discounts are for “card a. subject to the usual variation of 5 per cent. Prices for less than carloads are three (3) points lower basing (higher price) than the above discounts. Boiler Tubes.—Discounts on lap welded steel boiler tubes to jobbers in carloads are now as follows: “i one 1% to 2% in Oe Mn a eek gaak'e-orn 67% 2% to 3% in 70 SUE SE Worcs ccuatccch steed kaeteriabeeerureacers 72% D ORE Be ga 86a aed ba eked ded ene hs ier eewuuse Kes 7 Oe Be Ms 6 cakc ries <dkenedwes 0 Ona one ee nse a bemennes 62% Less than carloads to destinations east of the Mississippi River will be sold at delivered discounts for carloads lowered by two points for lengths 22 feet and under; longer lengths f.o.b. Pittsburgh. Usual extras to jobbers and boiler manufacturers. Wire Rods and Wire.—Bessemer, open hearth and chain rods, $29. Fence wire, Nos. 0 to 9, per 100 I|b., terms 60 days, or 2 per cent. discount in 10 days, car- load lots, to jobbers, annealed $1.60, galvanized $1.90; carload iots, to retailers, annealed $1.65, galvanized $1.95. Galvanized barb wire, to jobbers, $2.10; painted, $1.80. Wire nails, to jobbers, $1.80. The following table gives the prices to retail mer- chants on wire in less than carloads, including the ex- tras on Nos. 10 to 16, which are added to the base price: Fence Wire, Per 100 Lb. Nos, 0to9 10 11 12&12% 13 14 15 16 Annealed ....$1.75 1.80 1.85 1.90 2.00 2.10 2.20 2.30 Galvanized .. 2.05 2.10 2.15 2.20 2.30 2.40 2.80 2.90 Market and Stone Wire in Bundles, Discount from Standard List. — and Annealed: and coarser Oe ci xa ees 6 a4 Ga Mew ch pial (ube eehows 80 and 10 ee UNS ei i eee 80 and 10 and 2% BS a'e 6 Bigs Ka nde Oe late Aas aoa bee nee 80 and 5 Galvanized: ON io si-6 nk PEMA hk eRe be Rae ke ee 75 and 10 En ei dK 6 so NES VERE COR a BET AEA AR COKE 75 and 10 1 | ert PT re eee Tree 72% and 10 BE A hx ach & aoe he cee ein a a Ad Ramee ne we a 72% Coppered or Liquor Finished: i OOMEEES os oat heey ee aweik sp aeebes ceeket 75 and 10 Pe Se ee eee ee 75 and 10 SF MO ok us Ge cckeket dane tetanus s tues 70 and 10 and 5 Tinned: © WO EBs seine See PA ea rte 75 and 10 and 10 Pittsburg Park Burtpinc, May 24, 1911.—(By Telephone.) Pig Iron.—The market is dull and neglected, with no new inquiry. Local foundrymen are attending the sessions of the convention of the American Foundry- men’s Association here this week, and state that there is considerable large work under way, but it is very slow in developing. Bessemer pig iron is still being offered by dealers at $14.75 to $14.85, Valley furnace, but furnacemen are holding for $15. Not enough new business is coming out in pig iron to test prices. We quote as follows: Bessemer pig iron, $15 nominally; malleable Bessemer, $13.75; basic, $13.25; No. 2 foun- dry, $13.50 for prompt and $13.75 for forward delivery; . gray forge, $13.25, all at Valley furnace, the freight rate to the Pittsburgh district being 9oc. a ton. Steel.—There is no new business in billets or sheet bars, and specifications against contracts from sheet and tinplate mills are only fair. Small lots of open- hearth steel are still being offered by small makers be- low the:regular prices made by the larger mills. Reg- ular prices are as follows: Bessemer and open-hearth billets, 4x 4 in. and up to, but not including, 10x Io in., at $23, base, and sheet and tin bars in 30-ft. lengths, $24; 1%4-in. billets, $24; forging billets, $28, base, usual extras for sizes and carbons—all prices, f.o.b. Pitts- burgh or Youngstown districts, freight to destination added. . (By Mail.) Sentiment in the local iron trade has undergone a material change, being more optimistic now than at any time for the past two or three months. The Stand- ard Oil decision is regarded as having partially clarified the situation, and with reasonable assurance of heavy crops it is expected that trade should show some im- provement over’the next two or three months, with a more decided change for the better about September. The pipe and scrap ‘trades have shown considerable activity, some fairly heavy sales of line pipe having been made, while large transactions in heavy steel scrap for forward delivery were consummated at 50 cents a ton higher than dealers were quoting one week ago. The leading wire and wire nail makers have taken the situation in hand and have notified the large trade that, taking effect June 1, all unfilled tonnage on contracts made some time ago will be charged for at the present prices and that no orders will be booked at a lower figure than $1.80 for wire nails on and after that date. The trade is gradually accepting the belief that no revision of prices on finished iron and steel will be made, and as a result.there is more confidence in the future. The weakest spot in the whole situation is in pig iron, stocks at the furnaces being heavy, while the new demand is very light. There is no new inquiry for steel to speak of, but regular prices are being pretty firmly held. Ferromanganese.—No sales are reported. We con- tinue to quote 80 per cent. foreign at $36.50 to $36.75, Baltimore, the freight rate to Pittsburgh district being $1.95 a ton. Ferrosilicon.—A leading local consumer is in the market for 200 to 250 tons of 50 per cent., but there is not much new inquiry. We quote 50 per cent. at $52.50 to $53, Pittsburgh, for delivery through the third quar- ter; 10 per cent. blast furnace silicon, $22; 11 per cent., $24, and 12 per cent., $25, f:o.b. cars, Ashland and Jisco furnaces. Muck Bar.—The market continues dull. We quote best grades of pig iron muck bar nominally at $28.50 to $29, Pittsburgh. Skelp.—In spite of lack of new demand prices are fairly firm. We quote: Grooved steel skelp, 1.goc.; sheared steel skelp, 1.35c.; grooved iron skelp, 1.60c. to 1.65c., and sheared iron skelp, 1.70c. to 1.75c., all for delivery at consumers’ mills in the Pittsburgh district, usual terms. Wire Rods.—A sale of 300 tons of Bessemer wire rods for June and July shipment is reported on the basis of $28. New inquiry is light. We quote Bes- semer, open hearth and chain rods at $20, Pittsburgh. Steel Rails.—There is some active inquiry for stand- ard sections amounting to 20,000 tons or over, which bear the earmarks of live business that may be closed in a short time. The Carnegie Steel Company sold in the past week 500 tons of light rails to a coal company and 300 tons to a lumber interest, and in addition has taken several fairly large orders of standard sections for export. Prices on light rails are as follows: 12-lb. rails, 1.25c.; 16, 20 and 25 lb., 1.2Ic. to 1.25c.; 30 and 35 Ilb., 1.20c., and 40 and 45 lb., 1.16c. The prices are f.o.b., at mill, plus freight, and are the minimum of the market on carload lots, small lots being sold at a little higher price Standard sections are held at 1.25¢. per pound?’ Structural Material.—No local jobs have been placed in the past week. An inquiry is out from the eity of Pittsburgh for about 500 tons for an extension to the Smithfield street bridge, and there is also an inquiry for 800 tons for the proposed Peoples Theater in this city. New inquiries are better and considerable local work is in sight, some of which is expected to be placed in the very near future. Prices are reported firmer and we quote beams and channels up to 15-in. at 1.40¢., Pittsburgh. Plates—No important orders for steel cars have been placed, but the-Queen & Crescent route is in the market for 1000 steel hopper cars. On May 26 bids will be opened for 4500 tohs of plates for the Los Angeles aqueduct. A little better inquiry is reported for plates and prices aréisaid to be firmer. Narrow sizes of sheared plates are being sold at about 1.35c., while tank plate 4 in. and: heavier, in the wider sizes, is held at 1.40c., Pittsbusgh. Sheets.—Conditions'in ‘the sheet trade do not show much betterment, the new demand being rather quiet, being mostly for small